Orthopedic and other surgical techniques require the use of ligature knots as the operation proceeds. Metallic ligatures must be cut to length with consequent sharp ends.
Known surgical knots are difficult to form, particularly in the course of the procedure. This problem has motivated the production of factory pre-tied knots which tend to be expensive.
There is accordingly a need for a knot which can easily be formed by the surgeon from a ligature material saleable in spools. There is also a need for such a knot which can be progressively tightened to achieve and which will thereafter maintain a desired tension and which permits doubling of ligature strands.